More than 48 fests for some feel-good fun

tracey tong/ metro ottawa

Comedian and television personality Jon Dore, of the Jon Dore Television Show, hammed it up at the launch of the festival season at city hall yesterday. In 2009, 48 festivals will keep an estimated three million residents and guests entertained.

Online

Social networking sites will be tapped to spread the word about local events this year, said executive director of Ottawa Festivals Barbara Stacey. In addition to being connected through tools like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, Ottawafestivals.ca will be relaunching its new and improved site soon, she said.

Published: April 30, 2009 5:44 a.m.

Last modified: April 29, 2009 11:48 p.m.

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Ottawa has long been branded as “the town that fun forgot,” said the president of Ottawa Festivals yesterday.

No more.

Ottawa Festivals launched its 2009 season in style yesterday, announcing more than 48 festivals and special events — sometimes more than one per weekend — this year.

“We’re seeing a great variety of events,” Ottawa Festivals president Julian Armour said yesterday.

While the Ottawa International Jazz Festival “has grown so much in the last 10 years,” Cisco Ottawa Bluesfest has become one of the biggest of its kind in the world, Armour said.

Other festivals, including the Ottawa International Animation Festival, the Writers’ Festival, the Ottawa International Children’s Festival and the Ottawa Folk Festival, offer what Armour calls “an amazing variety” to residents and guests alike.

The city’s festivals get bigger and better every year, said Coun. Diane Deans.

“Every time I open the paper, I see the talent we are attracting,” she said.

“Three million people will be coming through (Ottawa) during festival season,” said Deans.

In addition to bringing residents and tourists out, festivals also involve more than 15,000 volunteers and 600 sponsoring organizations, Deans said.

“One can’t help but feel proud of our community when one sees the success of the festivals,” she said.

“Festivals are a great way of bringing people together,” said event emcee, comedian and star of the Jon Dore Television Show, Jon Dore.

“Festivals are not always about bringing tourists into the area for the economy. It’s about the beer tent,” he joked.

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